Fake Bake

It's Bronzer Season! 6 Mistakes You're Probably Making

The sun can be such a tease. One minute it's bright as can be, the next it's hiding for days during a torrential downpour. To jumpstart your tan this season, create color with one part self tanner, two parts bronzer. Starting slow with one coat of self tanner every few days prevents streaks or an orange finish. Focusing on bronzer provides commitment-free color you can swipe off daily. Although it's only temporary, the application isn't cut and dry for bronzer either. The tiniest mistake can make natural-looking color look obvious and caked on. Follow the guidelines below for color even the sun would believe.

Going too Dark too FastThe makeup artist-approved rule is two shades darker than your natural skin tone. Any darker and it becomes noticeable to the naked eye. For pale skin, two shades darker doesn't exist in many lines. Instead, use a dark nude blush. As your skin warms up throughout the summer, swap in a darker formula.

Overloading on Shimmery We love a good shimmer bronzer because it fakes dewiness. However, too much and the skin looks greasy. It can also highlight uneven texture. Apply a slight shimmer formula on dry to normal skin. For oily skin tones, use a matte formula and powder highlighter.

Using the Wrong Brush A dense kabuki brush applies too much product at once. To keep the color light and easy to blend, apply with a soft large brush to cover more surface area.

Applying Like a PowderTransculent powder covers the entire face to set the entire look. Apply bronzer all over and you look like a victim of self-tanner gone wrong. Only apply where the sun naturally hits—the cheekbones, T-zone, forehead and jawline.

Using Like a Highlighter Contouring consists of two steps—highlighter and bronzer. Highlighter works to add focus while bronzer minimizes that focus. Even on a light makeup day, keep that in mind. Make cheeks or forehead look small with a touch of bronzer powder. Want to enhance the cheekbones? Skip the bronzer.

Skipping the DécolletéThe sun naturally hits your décolleté almost as often as your face in warmer months. Blend the color downward by swiping along the top of the collar bone. Natural-looking bronzer, done. Next stop, real color.